RICE LAKE, Wis. (NWN) — An electrifying performance at Rice Lake’s Aquafest on Friday night wasn’t from just from the band, but a severe storm.
A bolt struck a utility pole behind the stage, damaging sound equipment and cutting power. Kenneth Hippen captured video of the strike, showing sparks fly from the utility pole and stage, and lights cutting out briefly.
We talked with Aquafest’s John Lehman about how the quick reaction by organizers cleared the stage and grounds to keep people safe.
“Between our law enforcement, our security, our stage production, the band’s management, we were all working together prior to this happening, and the band was pulled off the stage just a few minutes before all this happened,” Lehman said. “So there were a lot of eyes on the storm, watching what was coming, and from that point after we did have that lightning strike about 50 feet from the stage, a lot of communication happened very quickly, and our evacuation plan was put into place not long after. We go straight across the street to Salvation Army and up to Bethany Church.
“Blackhawk came down here to put on a show. We want to put on a show for everyone that came, but at the end of the day, there’s nothing we could do. We had no power. It’s just safety. We want everyone to also walk away and go home,” Lehman said.
No one was injured but two stagehands and a security guard were checked out by EMS.
The rest of Friday’s concert was canceled and the Aquafest grounds were evacuated. The stage was repaired and Saturday’s performance continued.